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A self-employed fitter has been jailed after carrying out gas work at a residential address whilst he was not competent to do so, leaving a gas boiler in an ‘at risk’ condition. Southampton Crown Court heard how Michael Smithers, who traded under the name of Bournemouth & Verwood Builders, was contracted to carry out the…

A buildings material manufacturer has been sentenced after a worker was diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) after repeatedly using vibrating tools above the recommended limits; and a second worker sustained electrical burns in a separate incident. The employee was diagnosed with HAVS after a HSE investigation established that he had been using percussive…

A Director of a woodworking company has been fined for failing to comply with Enforcement Notices served to protect the health and safety of workers in his workplace. Classical Joinery Group Limited in Neath (now dissolved) had not complied with four Enforcement Notices, Swansea Magistrates’ Court was told. The Notices had been served between November…

A major cinema chain has been ordered to pay £750,000 after a customer died after getting trapped under a faulty chair. Vue Entertainment, which has sites 91 sites across the UK and Ireland, was also ordered to pay £130,000 in prosecution costs. On 9 March 2018, Ateeq Rafiq visited Birmingham’s Star City cinema with his wife. After watching…

The latest advice on keeping workplaces safe will help you assess the risks and continue to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Portacabin with air conditioning Office staff work in a portacabin adjacent to a main factory. The portacabin has a recirculating air conditioning unit. The windows aren’t normally open. There are usually only a few people in the portacabin…

A facility services company operating at Winchester prison has been fined following an incident in which a worker suffered a broken leg when he was struck by a forklift truck (FLT). The Gov Facility Services Limited employee was injured whilst carrying out inspections of drain covers adjacent to a workshop, on 23 May 2019. He…

Power Link Machines (UK) Ltd has been sentenced for safety breaches after the HSE was informed the company was using gaskets within its generator sets that contained asbestos. Analysis by the HSE’s Science Division confirmed the gaskets contained asbestos. The company was served with a Prohibition Notice on 26 March 2018 requiring them to stop…

An agricultural machines manufacturer has been fined for safety breaches, after a 68-year-old worker suffered life threatening injuries when he became entangled on a manual lathe. The worker became entangled on either the rotating workpiece or the chuck as it rotated, York Magistrates’ Court heard. He sustained extensive injuries including a punctured lung, broken neck,…

A car dealership has been fined after two apprentices suffered chemical burns. Two apprentices were working at Mercedes-Benz of Northampton in Riverside Business Park, cleaning the vehicle ramps in the workshop using a chemical from an unlabelled barrel, Leicestershire Magistrates’ Court heard. The chemical caused burns to their hands and arms, which resulted in both…